MSL Curiosity

The Mars Science Laboratory and its huge rover, Curiosity, is slated for launch next year, to arrive on Mars in 2012. The landing of MSL will employ a new strategy. Up to now, NASA's highly successful Mars rovers-- Sojourner, Spirit, and Opportunity-- have been protected inside their mother ships during landing. Curiosity, however, will land directly on its six wheels.

NASA plans to make this new approach the norm in deploying rovers. It saves the weight of the metal panels previously used to protect the rovers-- and saving weight is critical in spaceflight. NASA plans to use the weight thus freed up to pack in more scientific instruments.